Web notcher



March 29, 1966 s. R. scHlEvEN ETAL 3,242,785

WEB NOTCHER FledvJan. 18. 1965 32" x l2 -f- H K 32 /0 22 2 30- 20 /l 4 SUPPLY' SHOPPER I 3 STANLEY R' SCH/EVEN ROBERT F- DEPREZ INVENTORS A TTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,242,785 WEB NOTCHER Stanley R. Schievcn and Robert F. Deprez, Rochester,

N.Y., assgnors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N .Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 426,336 6 Claims. (Cl. 83-301) The present invention relates to a web notcher and more particularly to a high speed notcher operable on a continuously moving web.

Notchers of various types have lbeen known in the prior art. Some are used for producing sheet material or cards having other than sharp square corners. For instance, in the art of X-ray lms it is advantageous to have rounded corners. It is, of course, possible to notch a continuous web by stopping the web in transit during notching operation. This approach seriously limits the maximum speed at which the web maybe driven. Higher speed notchers are known which will notch a web as it moves continuously. However, these notchers are generally relatively complex and thus require frequent maintenance to maintain tolerance.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a simple and improved notcher.

In accordance with one embodiment of our invention a web notcher comprises `a die which continuously remains under the vweb and revolves while remaining oriented parallel to the web so that its notch is traveling at substantially the same velocity as the web when env gaged by a punch that travels in a larger arc on one of the supports of the die. Thus the punch passes downward through the web in a mating engagement and both the punch and the die may be driven at constant angular velocities respectively. We have found that with this arrangement the notcher velocity will not limit the velocity of the web handling equipments associated therewith.

The subject matter which is regarded as our invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. The invention, however, as to its organization -and operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a simpliiied top plan view of one embodiment of our invention; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like numbers indicate similar parts, we have shown in FIG. 1 a web being transported from a supply 11, such as a finishing machine or a supply roll, through the notcher 12 of our invention to a chopper 13 which deposits chopped sheets in a bin 14. The chopper 13 is, of course, synchronized by relatively conventional means to chop only across notched portions of the we-b.

The notcher 12 comprises a die 16 supported on a pair of synchronized cranks 18 and 19 such that a central portion containing a notch 20 has a velocity component matching speed of the web 10 as indicated by an arrow 22. An instant after the notch has been accomplished, the cranks 18 and 19, while continuing at a constant angular velocity, move the die 16 to the position indicated in dashed lines as 16', 18 and 19' with the end supports 23 and 24 of the die 16 traveling in circular paths as indicated at 26 and 27 respectively at velocities indicated by the arrows 29. The die notch 20 travels in a similar circular path indicated at 28 which touches the web 10 only at the point of notching, and at a similar velocity 29.

The crank 18 also has thereon an extension 30 which ice supports a punch 32 so that it travels in a larger circular path as indicated at 33 which intersects the path 28 at the point of notching. Thu-s the punch velocity, indicated by arrow 34, is maintained constant and of a substantially greater magnitude than that of the die 16. Such high velocities and the passage of the punch through the die assure complete severance of the notched-out piece. Prior to engaging the die 16 the punch 32 `approaches the notch position from a position indicated at 32", while the die notch approaches from 20". After notching they move around the paths 33 to 32' and 28 to 20 in continuous circular motions respectively.

However, with the punch 32 traveling in the circular path 33, it is obviously raised above the web 10 during a portion of its cycle. In order that it does not contact the web during its upward passage, the entire punch and die assembly is skewed slightly relative to the web, as indicated in FIG. 2. This skew allows the punch 32 (as indicated in dashed lines FIG. 2) to come upward some distance, as indicated at 35, away from the edge of the web 1t).

In order that the punch and die remain synchronized with the web velocity 22, the cranks 18 and 19 are driven from a motor 38 which also drives the web 10 through a system such as a roller drive system indicated at 39 (FIG. l) by means of a linkage 40. A linkage 42 between the motor 38 and the cranks 18 and 19 is driven in synchronism by the motor 38 and includes a drive gear 44 (FIG. 2). This gear 44 drives both of the cranks 18 and 19 through gears 45 and 46 respectively, to eliminate binding which would tend to increase wear and correspondingly increase maintenance problems.

lthough FIGS. l and 2 indicate the punch 32 as en gaging the die 16 at approximately its center, this is not a requirement of our invention, as the path of the punch 32 can be along a circle 33 indicated in FIG. l (as an arc) so that the die notch 20 may be in a position 20a as indicated in phantom lines in FIG. 2. IWith such a relatively increased path length, the relative velocity 34 is even greater than 34.

It is, of course, a requirement of our invention that the various parts do not interfere with one another so that the width of the die 16 as indicated in FIG. 2 is less than its distance from the gears 44, 45, and 46 as established by hubs or washers 47. However, since the punch 32 is supported on the extension 30 of the gear crank 18, it crosses the die 16 at only one location and the tolerances of the system are easily maintained. Also, the passage of the punch completely through the die facilitates obtaining a clean cutting acti-on during that crossing.

Usually, we prefer to provide notches 48 on both sides of the web 10 so that all four corners of each finished sheet will be rounded when chopped along the dashed line 49 (FIG. 2). A pair of such notches are illustrated in FIG. 3 wherein the return stroke of the punch 32 avoids the web 10 because of bending of the web over slanted drive rollers 39 and 39 rather than skewing of t-he notcher as in FIG. 2. In order to obtain proper relationships between the notcher 12 and the web 10, the notches are displaced laterally in FIG. 3 while in FIG. 2 they should usually be laterally opposed.

While we have shown particular embodiments of this invention, other modifications will occur to those skilled in this art. For instance, different size sheets may be cut from the web 10 without loss of synchronization by providing an eccentric drive so that portions of the circular mot-ions (28 land 33), other than that portion wherein notching is accomplished, are of velocities greater or less than that corresponding to the drive roller 39. Also synchronous notching of high speed webs is useful in applications other than corner rounding. We intend therefore, to have the appended claims cover all such embodiments as properly fall within the scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. A web notcher for modifying corners of sheets to be cut from a continuous web drivable at a predetermined velocity, comprising:

crank means;

a die supported on said crank means to move in a circular path lying in a plane substantially parallel with Ione edge -of the web and at the predetermined velocity when closely adjacent to the web; and

a punch secured .to said crank means to move in a circular path in the same plane as said die but eX- tending above the web, said circular paths intersecting when said die is at the predetermined velocity and closely adjacent to the web to notch the edge of the web at that location.

2. A web notcher as in claim 1 wherein the plane of said circular paths is skewed slightly so that said punch will not engage the web during its upward stroke.

3. A web notcher as in claim 2 having a drive system synchronized to a drive system of the web.

4. A web notcher as in claim 1 including drive means synchronized with drive means of the web and operable `so that said die moves at the predetermined velocity throughout its circular path and said punch moves at va substantially higher velocity while traveling at the same radial velocity.

5. A web chopping arrangement having a web notcher for modifying corners of sheets to be cut -fronl a continuous web, comprising:

a web drive system for driving the web at a predetermined velocity;

la chopper synchronized with said web drive means for -cutting the web into sheets; and

a notcher mechanism synchronized to notch only along the line to be chopped by said chopper and comprismg;

crank means -synchronized with said drive system, a die supported on said crank means to move in a circular path lying in a plane substantially parallel with one edge of the web and drivable by said crank means at the predetermined velocity when closely adjacent to the web, and a punch secured to said crank means to move in a circular path in the same plane as said die but of a larger radius thereby extending both above and below the web, said circular paths intersection when said die is at the predetermined velocity and closely adjacent to the web to notch the edge of the web at that location.

6. A web chopper arrangement as in claim 5 wherein the path of said punch deviates from the path of the web so that said punch will not engage the web during its upward strokel No references cited.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

J. M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WEB NOTCHER FOR MODIFYING CORNERS OF SHEETS TO BE CUT FROM A CONTINUOUS WEB DRIVABLE AT A PREDETERMINED VELOCITY, COMPRISING: CRANK MEANS; A DIE SUPPORTED ON SAID CRANK MEANS TO MOVE IN A CIRCULAR PATH LYING IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH ONE EDGE OF THE WEB AND AT THE PREDETERMINED VELOCITY WHEN CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE WEB; AND A PUNCH SECURED TO SAID CRANK MEANS TO MOVE IN A CIRCULAR PATH IN THE SAME PLANE AS SAID DIE BUT EXTENDING ABOVE THE WEB, SAID CIRCULAR PATHS INTERSECTING WHEN SAID DIE IS AT THE PREDETERMINED VELOCITY AND CLOSELY ADJACENT TO THE WEB TO NOTCH THE EDGE OF THE WEB AT THE LOCATION. 